Books are more than just bundles of paper with words and pictures in them. For many, they serve as a way to visit far off places, meet new people, and partake in adventures never thought possible, all as low as the cost of a library card. Reading is not just a personal experience, but a universal one as well. Although adults can find solace in a good story, they provide an even greater service to … READ MORE

In the lead up to the Oscars, we will be posting reviews for some of the nominated movies. The forth review in our series is for I, Tonya, which received three nominations, including Best Actress (Margot Robbie) and Best Supporting Actress (Allison Janney). READ MORE

In the lead up to the Oscars, we will be posting reviews for some of the nominated movies. The third review in our series is for The Shape of Water, which received 13 nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director (Guillermo del Toro), Best Original Screenplay (Guillermo del Toro, Vanessa Taylor), Best Actress (Sally Hawkins), and Best Supporting Actor (Richard Jenkins). This review contains spoilers for The Shape of Water. READ MORE

In the lead up to the Oscars, we will be posting reviews for some of the nominated movies. Our first review is for Lady Bird, which garnered five nominations, for Best Picture, Best Actress (Saoirse Ronan), Best Supporting Actress (Laurie Metcalf), and Best Director and Best Original Screenplay (Greta Gerwig). READ MORE

“You never met your Dad before? That’s so sad,” is the response I received when I told someone I didn’t have a father in my life. That statement always confused me. Why would anyone be sad for me just because there wasn’t a father figure in my life? Sure, I’ve always wanted to have a dad because all my friends did, but not because I needed one. Even when my mom got married when I … READ MORE

Racism is defined as “the unequal treatment of a population group purely because of its possession of physical or characteristics socially defined as denoting a particular race. Racism is the deterministic belief system which sustains racialism, linking these characteristics with negatively valued social, psychological, or physical traits” (5 Satzewich).
Canada is widely believed to be a tolerant society, accepting a diverse range of ethnicities, cultures and religions. Yet Canada’s relationship with Indigenous people is complex to … READ MORE

“When starting a play, I ask myself, “What’s the last play in the world I would ever want to write?” Then I force myself to write it. I do this because I’ve found that the best way to make theatre that unsettles and challenges my audience is to do things that make me uncomfortable. I work with stories that I find trite and embarrassing, I keep the development of the text as open and unstable … READ MORE

M is a member of the Philadelphia-based collective METROPOLARITY, a sci-fi and speculative fiction group that, in their words, uses writing to ride against empire. While I was living in Philadelphia I got into M’s writing through their zine about cyborgs navigating dystopia called All That’s Left. I loved this zine because it re-ignited the old sci-fi nerd in me while opening up new possibilities for queer, trans and non-binary worlds. Interviewing them was a great chance to reconnect and speak about science fiction, binaries, and writing your dreams. READ MORE

Julia Cratchley is the Artistic Director of the Transcendance Project, a contemporary dance company based in Toronto. Starting out as a dancer in a fine arts high school in Richmond Hill, Ontario, she’s gone on to dance and choreograph shows with companies across Canada. Julia is the creator, director, and choreographer for Eve of St. George, an immersive recreation of Bram Stoker’s Dracula, inspired by Sleep No More, an immersive show still playing in New York. In immersive theatre, the audience wanders through the set, choosing their own path and even interacting with the performers. Each audience member’s experience of the show is unique. Eve of St. George will be taking over four levels of the Great Hall in Toronto at the end of the month. We spoke with Julia Cratchley about her artistic process and the creation of Eve of St. George. READ MORE

Earlier this year, a New Yorker article called “The Personal-Essay Boom Is Over” sparked a heated debate on the truth of its title’s claim. In short, the author, Jia Tolentino, argued that personal essays, the kind written mostly by women, often young women, often writers who are just starting out and who do not get paid much for the online publication of said personal essay, and whose said personal essay focuses on the deeply, often shockingly, personal (Tolentino gives the example of an essay published by Jezebel about a tampon lost inside the author’s body), are a thing of the past. READ MORE

My name is Amethyst, and I’m biracial. Don’t get me wrong — I love that I have multiple heritages to call my own. It means I can relate to more people since I’ve had experiences as both a Hispanic and a white individual. Since I have the dark hair and eyes of my Puerto Rican-Cuban mother and the lighter skin of my European father, I’m usually seen as one or the other. However, my physical … READ MORE

There is one thing that is never simple: money. As a college or university student, things only become more daunting with tuition invoices, rent, bills, and other income-absorbing expenses. Students often hold part-time jobs to accumulate income during their studies; for low-income students this is often essential. Desperate enough, students sometimes enter into stressful and toxic work environments. READ MORE

The only way to survive is to imagine futures, but it’s even better to create them. Visualizing futures is power. Giving shape to future worlds that aren’t separate from the past, but inextricable to them is what can get us through. This is the gift the young filmmakers at imagiNATIVE explored through their films.
imagiNATIVE is an annual film festival held in Toronto every October. imagiNATIVE’s vision is about showcasing, promoting, and celebrating Indigenous film and … READ MORE

Shameless magazine, a Canadian, independent, feminist voice for young women and trans youth, is looking for a volunteer circulation manager. Are you an organizational whiz? Do you have a commitment to anti-oppression and inclusive feminist politics? Do you have some time to volunteer and a vision for Shameless? Then we need you. READ MORE